Yes – but with caveats! Gerbils can eat any type of tomato – and if it is only a once in a while treat (i.e only once a month or so) – they can eat it without any issues. Tomatoes are safe for gerbils in gerbil-sized portions.
Tomatoes are a common summer fruit/salad vegetable througout the year for us humans – but as they are often eaten whole (only the green nubbin is discarded) we often don’t think to offer them to our gerbils.
Tomatoes are sometimes also found in gerbil treats or dried grasses – such as Versele Laga Nature – Timothy Hay – so are safe for most small animals in general.
Tomato Nutrition Facts:
Tomatoes themselves are actually – in botanical terms – a berry – but of course they are also a fruit (they are the vessel a plant produces to disperse its seeds). Not so much of a vegetable though – more of a side wouldn’t you say?
Anyway – the plant itself (Solanum lycopersicum) is native to Central America and western South America and is closely related to the potato and aubergine/egg plant family of plants. As with the rest of the family – they contain a potentially toxic ingredient in parts of the plant or fruits depending on the plant itself and the growth stage – they are after all Nightshades.
The plant itself is a tall very easy-to-break tall green plant with a lovely smell if touched. It can be grown inside or outside depending on the climate – and are very heavy croppers. So you can grow all your own gerbil treats with one single plant (and have plenty left over for yourself).
They are rich in nutrients, vitamins and phytochemicals – which are obvious from their bright colour. However this means that they are also high in natural sugars too. – whether they are red or yellow. Black or white tomatoes might be less sugary though – we have never tried them?
And that juicy part that they are so famous for is a bad thing for gerbils. As they are desert creatures – too much moisture is best avoided – so best not to give tomatoes whole!
Ways Gerbils Can Eat Tomatoes:
There are several different ways to define how a gerbil can eat tomatoes – and as with all foods, they contain different things in their different parts. So, below is a quick breakdown of the most common things to be aware of:
Fresh Ripe Tomatoes – this is the best way for a gerbil to eat a tomato – and just how it comes off the plant would be perfect. Simply twist off the green planty top – slice in half and empty out the seeds and ooooch. Then cut off a gerbil-hand sized piece of the outer skin for each gerbil to enjoy.
Do not feed unripe or green tomatoes to your gerbil – as this green colour (as with potatoes) is where a harmful chemical is present. Humans can eat cooked green tomatoes in small amounts without too much harm (you might get a tummyache) but don’t risk this with your gerbils.
There are some tomatoes that stay green when they are ripe – but don’t split hairs – if it doesn’t taste REALLY sweet when you eat one – don’t feed it to your gerbil – whatever colour it is.
Dried Tomatoes – not often found apart from in the odd commercial treat. And if they haven’t been sweetened for us humans i.e. they are in a small animal treat or grass – they should be fine as a treat. However, if you do sun-dry your own tomatoes – then a piece of the outer skin of these is fine – as long as it hasn’t been stored in oil. And if you slow-roast them instead of sun-dry – for example you live in the UK where there IS no sun – and use oil – again – don’t give these to your gerbils.
Dehydrated Strawberries – Just like sun-drying – absolutely. A pip-less dehydrated tomato piece will be just fine – as long as it is natural rather than stored in any other liquids.
The natural sugars in dehydrated or sun-dried tomatoes will be sweeter and the flavour more concentrated than in the whole fruit as you have taken the water out – a reason sun-dried tomatoes are so flavoursome – so perhaps feed a tiny bit less of these.
Tomato Jam – Yes it is a thing – but No. Jams and preserves are just full of sugar by their very nature – and sticky. Two things not good for gerbils. Eat it yourself on some nice walnut and olive crackers!
Can Gerbils Eat Other Tomato Parts?
Unfortunately – it is just the flesh of tomatoes that are safe for gerbils can eat. Because of the family of plants they belong to – it isn’t worth the risk of feeding ANY – seeing as there are already plenty of other yummy safe things in the garden.
Tomato Tops – Nope. Any part of the plant itself is best avoided.
Tomato Plant or Leaves – same as above – No. Although they have lovely-smelling leaves and stalks – best not feed any of these as the are most likely toxic to gerbils – but we aren’t about to ask anyone to find out!
Tomato Seeds – the seeds or pips are best taken as a no-no. Tomato seeds are fine for humans but it has always been said to remove the seeds for gerbils on popular groups and forums. We arent going to go against that. We ourselves though, have accidently fed the seeds to gerbils and jirds on very rare occassions before with no obvious negative signs – but it isn’t something we would recommend as safe to others as we can’t find any stats either way.
Tomato Plant Flowers – No. Best totally avoid the flowers as again, everyone seems to say they are toxic just like the rest of the solonaceae family – so we woudn’t risk it.
Wild Tomatoes – Absolutely no. Anything that looks like it might be a tomato on what looks like a tomato plant is best avoided – as it is most likely actually a nightshade – i.e. totally toxic fruits. Even the fruits of potato plants – that looks every bit like under-ripe tomatoes – are totally toxic – even to humans.
In fact that is how they say the first meal went in the England when the plants were first cultivated – they ate the fruits on the plant rather than the tubers underground? Not sure how true that is – but highlights how easily mistakes are made.
Basically – if you didn’t grow them yourself – don’t feed any thing that looks like a tomato to your gerbils.